Red Bull only Austrian firm among world’s top 100 brands

Red Bull has retained its title as Austria’s most valuable brand in the world.The Salzburg-based energy drinks producer ranks 82nd in international market research agency Millward Brown’s study of the most powerful companies in the world.Internet giant Google tops the top 100 with an estimated value of 86 billion Euros followed by IT firms IBM and Apple.Millward Brown researchers estimated Red Bull’s value as 8.9 billion Euros, up from 8.2 billion Euros last year. The company – which is headed by Dietrich Mateschitz – dropped three places in the overall ranking but kept in fourth in the global soft drinks sector listing.Red Bull reported in February that it had sold 3.906 billion cans of its trademark drink in 2009, down from 3.921 billion the previous year.The firm said turnover declined by 1.7 per cent year on year to 3.323 billion Euros, but claimed it had reached its output target.The company said its business value increased “despite difficult circumstances” in important markets such as in the Far East, Brazil and Germany.Red Bull has also been focusing on sponsoring world class sportsmen, promising talents in popular disciplines and extreme sports athletes.It named its Formula One team’s successes, football team Red Bull Salzburg’s performance in the Europa League and the launch of its energy drink in Denmark and Norway as “highlights of 2009”.Red Bull – which has around 6,800 employees 160 countries – said it now planned to expand in Japan, Africa, India and Russia.